


Then Saturn's rings do bind us

by mlraven



Category: Dark Matter (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Galactic Authority, Multi, Ring shopping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-20
Updated: 2017-09-20
Packaged: 2019-01-01 02:12:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12146406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mlraven/pseuds/mlraven
Summary: All Two and Three want to do is scope out some engagement rings. Why does the G.A. have to get involved?





	Then Saturn's rings do bind us

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Themisto](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Themisto/gifts).



> I saw you were on the needy giftboxes list and had to write this for you! Of course, by the time I finished it, you were no longer on the needy list, but hey, in my book, more gifts are always better :D
> 
> Happy Fandom Giftbox!
> 
> Beta by p.

When asked later, Two and Three refuse to explain how scheduled downtime on a ‘station turned into an intergalactic incident.

It starts out as a normal day— the _Raza’_ s docked at a ‘station near Talos III and the crew’s dispersed to gather supplies and enjoy some long-awaited R&R.

Two and Three slip away from the others under the pretext of restocking their liquor stash. In reality, they have an appointment at a high-end jeweler to look at engagement rings for their third half, Commander Delaney Truffault of the Mikkei Combine.

They’d agreed, early on in their relationship, that they weren’t the type for trinkets or souvenirs. That they knew how the others felt, and giving gifts would only lead to one-upmanship. In the several years since that conversation however, their relationship had deepened and strengthened so much that Three’s sentimental side was not alone in desiring permanence. Three and Two have discussed offering Delaney something as a symbol of their relationship, and their subsequent research led them to the Pristine&co Jewelers on the Talos III ‘station.

They’ve made the appointment under fake names; they don’t want any mushy jewelry-buying to tarnish the terrifying reputations of Portia Lin and Marcus Boone. They’ve even dressed like they belong in an expensive jewelry boutique; Two wears a strappy black blouse under a boiled wool version of her typical leather jacket, and Three has exchanged his vest for a dark blue button-down shirt.

As they approach the store, Three smoothes down his shirt nervously. He has only a single gun hidden in the small of his back, and he knows that Two’s in the same boat. There’s no reason they’ll need any weapons in a fancy joint like this, but he can’t help but worry.

When they arrive at the glass-fronted shop, they’re greeted by a besuited android, who bows and shows them to the room in which they’ll meet the jeweler.

The room is sumptuously appointed; three bottle green velvet armchairs surround a floating glass table filled with jewelry, and a small teak bar with whisky, water, and caf stands off to the side. Suspended in the table are several rows of tasteful rings; large but not ostentatious sapphires, rubies, and diamonds nestled in gold and platinum settings. There’s also a row of unadorned bands; gold and platinum with a variety of patterns etched on the outsides. There are no prices visible anywhere.

The android shows them to the two chairs on one side of the table, offers them drinks, and retreats from the room, telling them the jeweler will be with them shortly.

As they wait for the jeweler, Two and Three examine the rings. A platinum band with small orange sapphires cut and arranged in the shape of a star catches Three’s attention, and Two eyes a wide platinum band with tiny rubies embedded in it.

She points out the ring to Three. “Look, this one wouldn’t get in the way or catch on anything,” she says in an undertone.

He smiles and is about to point out the ring he’d noticed when they hear an alarm sound faintly. They exchange a worried glance, and Two opens the door to the room in time to let in two burly bodyguards and a slight, nervous old man.

“Is there a problem, gentlemen?” Three asks, smiling. Two steps back from the door and casually puts a hand on her hip, her gun within reach.

“Ah, well, no problem, except that you’re here to rob me,” the old man says, rubbing his left elbow compulsively with his right hand.

Three curses under his breath as Two steps forward, hands raised placatingly.

“There’s been a misunderstanding,” she says. “We’re here to buy an engagement ring, not to steal anything.”

“Hah!” says the man, still rubbing his elbow anxiously. “You’re the infamous Portia Lin and Marcus Boone! I’m sure the engagement ring story is just a ploy to get us to unlock these cases so you can steal my precious work. But your plan won’t work because we screen all our customers faces through the G.A. database, for just this reason!”

One of the bodyguards speaks up. “The G.A. are on their way, so don’t try anything funny with those guns we know you’re hiding.”

Three snarls and removes the gun from his pants, tossing it at the bodyguard’s feet. Two raises an eyebrow at him but sets her gun down and kicks it over to the bodyguards.

“Well, this didn’t go as planned,” she says wryly, as the G.A. goons pour in to take them away.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Two and Three spend several hours repeating their story over and over— “I know we’re intergalactically-wanted criminals, but we really were just shopping for rings. Honest!” and “Don’t you think we’d go for a bigger target if we were getting into petty theft? The crew of the _Raza_ , stealing jewelry?” but the G.A. interrogators are unsympathetic.

Finally, they throw up their hands and toss Two and Three back into a cell to await transport to a secured penal colony. Even if they didn’t steal anything this time, they’re reminded, Portia Lin and Marcus Boone have tens of outstanding G.A. warrants. They won’t be getting away this time.

Three lies on his back on the bench in the cell, grumbling about stupid overcautious jewelers and that no good deed goes unpunished. Two’s leaning against the wall, eyes closed. The crew will come break them out; they just need to wait.

To her surprise however, their rescuer isn’t the Android, dolled up with her verisimilitude chip in, or Five playing little girl lost. Instead, they hear a familiar bell-like social laugh, followed by the well-coiffed head of none other than Delaney Truffault.

Three winces. He’s not sure how they’re going to explain their way out of this one.

Truffault is followed by a chagrined G.A. officer who flashes his access card to open their cell.

“You’re free to go,” he says gruffly, gesturing them out of the room. “Once again I apologize for the _misunderstanding_ ,” he says to Truffault, his emphasis on the last word clearly indicative of his skepticism that this really was a misunderstanding.

“The Galactic Authority values our relationship with the Mikkei Combine,” he grits out. “We are— happy— to overlook this case for the sake of that relationship.” He grimaces like he’d rather be anywhere but here, releasing the G.A. Most Wanted on the word of the Combine’s smiling face.

The cell door slides open and the officer steps stiffly to the side to let them exit.

Three shoves his hands in his pockets and saunters through the doorway, shoulders hunched slightly as if to shield himself from Truffault’s judgement. Two raises her brows at Truffault as she walks out, tilting her head in inquiry. Truffault dips her chin slightly; they’ll discuss this once they’re out of G.A. territory.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Once they’re back on Truffault’s shuttle, sprawled in its little lounge, drinks in hand, Delaney finally inquires.

“Dare I ask what you were doing in a jewelry shop?” she drawls. “Pristine&co is somewhat upscale for your tastes,” she says, raising an eyebrow at Three.

He looks away, swirling the drink in his hand broodingly. He doesn’t want to be the first to admit to the feelings that sent them looking for engagement rings.

Two watches him for a moment, then sets down her drink.

“We were looking for engagement rings,” she says, meeting Truffault’s gaze. “We both wanted to revisit our discussion about commitment, and we thought you might take us more seriously if we came prepared.”

Delaney inhales a shaky breath. She’s been wondering, since she got the alert that they’d been arrested in a jewelry shop, but she’s tried to shove the possibility to the back of her head. Pirates don’t do things like pledge eternity.

“That’s a wonderful thought,” she says, her usually tartness smoothed out into something genuinely sweeter, “and I am amenable to discussing it further.”

Three’s head whips back around, eyes sweeping over Truffault’s face as if to assess her sincerity. Two feels a smile begin to overtake her face.

Delaney watches them, warmth spreading out from her midsection to envelop her.

“When we’re ready to look at rings,” she says, “we’ll look at them together.”

Three nods, relief evident on his face. He starts to take a drink to hide the expression, then thinks better of it and sets the tumbler down gently on the table.

“And when we do,” she says, a mischievous expression quirking her lips, “we’ll pay a discreet jeweler to come to us. Deal?”

Three takes in the scene surrounding him— Delaney and Two curled up on the small loveseat, facing each other like two parentheses; Two watching him, a gentle smile playing at her lips; the overwhelming sensation of comfort and love suffusing the room— and beams.

“Deal.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> ....why yes, Truffault has a Google alert on Two and Three, just in case she needs to ride in on her white horse and rescue them :D


End file.
